CHINA’S POLICY TOWARD ETHNIC GROUPS AND THEIR COMMON PROSPERITY

(Part Two)

　　III. Consolidating and Developing the Great Unity of 　the People of All China’s Ethnic Groups

　　Ethnic unity is China’s fundamental principle for handling ethnic issues as well as the core of its policy toward ethnic groups.

　　Safeguarding ethnic unity is particularly significant for China, a multiethnic country. First, ethnic unity is an important guarantee for the unification of the country. It is also a prerequisite for safeguarding the unification of the country. Without ethnic unity, there will be problems and conflicts among ethnic groups which could split the country and bring disorder to it. Second, ethnic unity is an important prerequisite for social stability. Only such unity can stabilize and harmonize society, bring ease to the people’s lives and work, and guarantee the country’s lasting political stability. Third, ethnic unity is an important guarantee for the development of social programs. Only this unity can concentrate the strength of the ethnic groups on the construction and development of the country, promote consider able economic and social progress and improve the lives of the people of all ethnic group.

　　The Chinese government and people attach great importance to ethnic unity, and regard it as the supreme interest of all the Chinese people and the fundamental guarantee for the realization of the prosperity and development of all ethnic groups. For many years, the people of all ethnic groups have steadfastly adhered to the concept that “the Han Chinese cannot live without ethnic minorities, and vice versa, and no one ethnic minority can live without other ethnic minorities.” In China, every citizen’s fate is linked with that of the country, and every citizen is obliged to resolutely work for the unification of the country and ethnic unity, determinedly oppose national separatism and voluntarily devote themselves to the development of the country. The Chinese government and people firmly believe that the unity and friendship of ethnic groups are of the utmost importance for the Chinese nation’s vitality, strength and hope.

　　In China, ethnic unity includes the unity of the Han ethnic group with ethnic minorities, the unity among ethnic minorities and the unity among members of an ethnic group. Safeguarding ethnic unity requires all ethnic groups, in the big family of the unified motherland and on the basis of equality, to respect, trust, learn from and cooperate with each other. People of all ethnic groups breathe under the same sky and share the same destiny; they should care for each other, promote peaceful coexistence and harmonious development, continuously strengthen and develop socialist ethnic relations based on equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and harmony, devote all to socialist modernization, and make our country strong, our nation thrive and our people happy.

　　For many years, the state has adopted methods to eliminate all factors adversely affecting ethnic unity, and resolutely maintained this unity, striving to achieve common prosperity and development through the concerted efforts of all ethnic groups.

　　– The state guarantees the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic minorities. It has employed legal, economic and administrative means to eliminate ethnic discrimination and estrangement left over from the past, and promote unity and development. The state prohibits ethnic discrimination and oppression in any form, and bans behavior aimed at undermining ethnic unity and causing ethnic antagonism. In safeguarding ethnic unity, the state opposes both chauvinism of ethnic groups, especially great Han chauvinism, and local nationalism. The Chinese government has carried out many inspections on the implementation of the policy toward ethnic groups across the country for guaranteeing its full compliance. Thanks to economic and social development, the population flow of ethnic minority communities is becoming more frequent, increasingly characterized by urbanization and scattered settlement. To guarantee the legitimate rights and interests of ethnic minority people living in both urban areas and scattered minority communities, the state has promulgated the Regulations on Ethnic Work in Urban Areas, and the Regulations on Administrative Work in Ethnic Townships to strengthen services and management in order to help minority communities develop production, improve their lives and meet their cultural and dietary needs.

　　– The state adheres to and improves the system of regional ethnic autonomy. In line with its actual conditions, China follows the system of regional ethnic autonomy. This system organically integrates centralization at the state level with autonomy in areas where ethnic minorities live in compact communities. It is a great creation in handling China’s ethnic issues. The system of regional ethnic autonomy has played an important role in guaranteeing that ethnic minorities fully play their role as the masters of the country and that the ethnic relations are consolidated and developed on the basis of equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and harmony. For many years the state has guaranteed the full exercise of the self-governance rights by the ethnic minorities, and respected and guaranteed their legitimate rights and interests.

　　– The state is convinced that quickening the economic and social development of minority communities and ethnic minority areas is the fundamental solution to China’s ethnic issues. Overcoming the difficulties and solving the problems in ethnic minority areas hinges on development. For many years, the state has attached strategic importance to developing ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas, and worked out guidelines and strategic arrangements in line with the realities of ethnic minorities in their different development stages to support their development and the development of ethnic minority areas in policies, capital, human resources and technology. The state always takes raising the living standard of all ethnic groups as the starting point and the ultimate goal of all its work, does its utmost to accelerate development and carries it out in a down-to-earth manner, and strives to achieve common prosperity for all ethnic groups. Through persistent efforts, the working conditions and living standards of ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas have been greatly improved, and their standards of ethics, science, culture and health have improved considerably.

　　– The state constantly strengthens publicity and education in ethnic unity. It has included ethnic unity education in the whole process of ethical education for citizens and the whole process of socialist cultural and ideological development. The government constantly conducts education among officials and the masses of all ethnic groups about ethnic theory, policy, laws and regulations, and knowledge with focuses on the targeted audience and effect. Such publicity and education are not only targeted at ordinary people, but more so at officials; not only at officials of ethnic minorities, but more so at Han officials; not only at primary-level officials, but more so at leading officials. The state attaches special importance to carrying out education in ethnic unity among young people, and makes it a requirement to introduce ethnic unity education into schools and teaching materials in order to pass on this fine tradition from generation to generation. In 2008 the state promulgated the Program for Education of Ethnic Unity in Schools (for trial implementation). In 2009 the state decided to include the content of ethnic unity into the examinations in primary school students and into the graduation examinations for junior high school students and senior high school students, as well as for those entering secondary vocational schools. The state also pays great attention to relevant training for those working in the press and publishing, gives guidance and encouragement to them to correctly comprehend and actively publicize policies, laws and regulations regarding ethnic groups and basic knowledge in this regard, and produce more and better works promoting ethnic unity and national unification. Meanwhile, the state strengthens management of publications, radio and TV programs and video-film products and the use of the Internet to bar any contents from hurting ethnic feelings and damaging ethnic unity.

　　– The state actively carries out activities to commend role models in promoting ethnic unity and progress of ethnic minorities. Since 1988 the state has held four national commendation conferences for promoting ethnic unity and progress, commended 4,993 role models from the 56 ethnic groups, including 2,474 exemplary groups and 2,519 exemplary individuals. Local governments at all levels also carry out such activities in various forms, including the Ethnic Unity Month, formulate relevant commendation methods, set up role models, foster integrity in the whole society; and create an environment of “honor to those safeguarding ethnic unity and shame to those damaging it.” The Ethnic Unity Month is carried out in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on May, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Jilin Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in September, and in the Guizhou Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in July.

　　– The state appropriately handles disputes and conflicts jeopardizing ethnic unity. The state adheres to the principles of unity, education, guidance and settlement of disputes or conflicts, analyzes and resolves such issues in a realistic way in order not to aggravate disputes or conflicts. The state safeguards the dignity of law and protects the people’s interests, and metes out punishment of criminal offences regardless of the convict’s ethnicity and religious belief in accordance with the law. In recent years, the central government and local governments at all levels have established permanent mechanisms and emergency response plans for handling issues jeopardizing ethnic unity, appropriately and promptly resolved conflicts and incidents jeopardizing ethnic unity, and safeguarded ethnic unity and overall social stability.

　　China’s ethnic issues are its internal affairs. The Chinese government resolutely opposes foreign interference in China’s ethnic affairs under the excuses of ethnicity, religion and human rights. The country is determined, in accordance with the law, to guard against and crack down on any infiltration into China, sabotage and subversive activities against it conducted by terrorist, separatist and extremist forces. History and reality have proved that if all ethnic groups in a country are united and love each other, such a country is bound to enjoy good administration, a harmonious life and prosperity; if a country is prone to ethnic conflicts and confrontations, it is sure to suffer social unrest and bring calamity to its people.

　　IV. Upholding and Improving Ethnic Regional Autonomy

 

　　Regional ethnic autonomy is China’s basic policy for handling problems among its ethnic groups as well as its fundamental political system.

　　China’s regional ethnic autonomy means that under the unified leadership of the state, regional autonomy is exercised and organs of self-governance are established in ethnic minority areas.

　　The establishment of an autonomous area is determined by the relationships among its ethnic groups, its economic development, and its historical background. At present, in the light of the size of the population and ethnic minority areas, ethnic autonomous areas in China are divided into three levels, namely, autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties – equivalent to the province, city divided into districts, and county, respectively. People’s congresses and people’s governments of autonomous areas are organs of self-governance and the country’s local organs of state power and implement state laws and policies in accordance with local conditions. Regional ethnic autonomy is a self-governance system under the unified leadership of the state. Every ethnic autonomous area is an inseparable part of the country. Organs of self-governance in ethnic autonomous areas must follow the leadership of the central government.

　　Implementing regional ethnic autonomy in China is an inevitable choice that respects history, is in line with national conditions and accords with the will of the people. First, as far as history and traditions are concerned, the long-term existence of a unified multiethnic country is the historical background for implementing regional ethnic autonomy. Second, as far as ethnic relationships are concerned, the Chinese people consist of multiethnic groups, and the close and extensive ties among them are the economic and cultural bases for implementing regional ethnic autonomy. Third, as far as the distribution of ethnic groups is concerned, the fact that some ethnic groups live together over vast areas while others live in individual concentrated communities in small areas, and the natural, economic and cultural diversity and supplementation are the actual conditions for enacting the system of regional ethnic autonomy.

　　Implementing regional ethnic autonomy is beneficial to combining the country’s centralism and unification with the freedom and equality of the ethnic groups, integrating state laws and policies with actual conditions and specific circumstances of ethnic autonomous areas, uniting the goal of building a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious country with the unity, progress, prosperity and development of the ethnic groups, and linking the love of the people of the ethnic groups for the motherland with their love for their ethnic group. In the unified large family, China’s ethnic groups live together in peace, work together with one heart and mind and develop together in a harmonious manner, while giving full rein to their respective strengths and advantages.

　　Over many years, the Chinese government has all along upheld regional ethnic autonomy, constantly improved it to keep pace with the times, and made remarkable achievements in this regard.

　　Ethnic autonomous areas have been established across the country. As early as 1947 before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of the CPC, the country’s first provincial-level ethnic autonomous region – the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region – was established. After the People’s Republic was founded in 1949, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and relevant laws, the Chinese government began to introduce the system of regional autonomy in ethnic minority areas. In October 1955, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was established; in March 1958, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established; in October of the same year, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was established; and in September 1965, the Tibet Autonomous Region was established. By the end of 2008, China had established a total of 155 ethnic autonomous areas. Of these, there were five autonomous regions, 30 autonomous prefectures and 120 autonomous counties (banners). According to statistics revealed in China’s fifth national census conducted in 2000, of the country’s 55 ethnic minority groups, 44 had their own autonomous areas. The population of ethnic minority groups practicing regional autonomy accounted for 71 percent of the total population of ethnic minority groups, and the area where regional autonomy was practiced accounted for 64 percent of the entire territory of China. In addition, China had established 1,100 ethnic townships, as a supplement to the system of regional ethnic autonomy.

　　The legal system of regional ethnic autonomy has been constantly improved. The Common Program of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), passed by the CPPCC in 1949, actually served as China’s provisional constitution. It defined the system of regional ethnic autonomy as a basic policy of New China. In 1952, the Central People’s Government issued the Program for Implementing Regional Ethnic Autonomy, which included clear provisions on important issues such as the establishment of ethnic autonomous areas and the composition of organs of self-governance, as well as the right of such organs to self-governance. In 1954, the Constitution adopted by the NPC institutionalized the system in the form of basic law, and has ever since adhered to this system. In 1984, on the basis of learning from the experience of regional ethnic autonomy, the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy was adopted at the Second Session of the Sixth NPC. As a result, the country’s system of regional ethnic autonomy has become more complete in terms of policy, system and law. The Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy is the basic law in the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Constitution. It defines the relationship between the central government and the ethnic autonomous areas, as well as the relationship among different ethnic groups in these areas. Its legal effect is not limited to ethnic autonomous areas; every individual in China and all state organs must abide by and implement this law. In 2001, in consideration of actual conditions when the socialist market economy was established, the Standing Committee of the NPC revised the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy. The Regulations of the State Council on Implementing the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, issued by the State Council in 2005, define the duties of governments at higher levels to support and help the organs of self-governance in ethnic autonomous areas.

　　Ethnic autonomous areas effectively exercise the right to self-governance. The organs of self-governance in ethnic autonomous areas are the people’s congresses and people’s governments of autonomous regions, prefectures and counties. These organs exercise the following rights in accordance with the law:

　　– Independently manage the internal affairs of their ethnic group and autonomous area. People of various ethnic origins in autonomous areas are entitled to vote and stand for election, as provided for in the Constitution and laws, and, by electing deputies to people’s congresses at various levels and establishing organs of self-governance, exercise their democratic rights to manage the internal affairs of their ethnic group and autonomous area. The chairmen and vice chairmen of the standing committees of the people’s congresses of all 155 ethnic autonomous areas in China are citizens of the ethnic groups exercising regional autonomy in the areas concerned. The heads of all autonomous regions, prefectures and counties are all citizens of the ethnic groups exercising regional autonomy in the areas concerned. Other members of the people’s governments of the autonomous areas include an appropriate number of members of the ethnic group(s) exercising regional autonomy as well as members of other ethnic minority groups. The functionaries of the departments of the organs of self-governance are composed in a similar fashion.

　　– Enjoy the right to formulate autonomous regulations and separate regulations. The Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy stipulates that, besides enjoying the same rights as other local state organs, people’s congresses in autonomous areas have the right to enact autonomous regulations and separate regulations in the light of the political, economic and cultural characteristics of the ethnic group or ethnic groups in the areas concerned. The Legislation Law of the People’s Republic of China stipulates that the autonomous regulations and separate regulations may contain provisions which have been adapted on the basis of existing laws or administrative regulations to suit the particular conditions of the ethnic group concerned. By the end of 2008, the ethnic autonomous areas had formulated 637 autonomous regulations and separate regulations, as well as adapted or supplemented regulations to relevant laws. In the light of the particular situation in each area, the ethnic autonomous areas have adapted related provisions in several laws, including the Marriage Law, Inheritance Law, Electoral Law, Land Law and Grassland Law, or provided supplementary regulations to such laws.

　　– Independently arrange, manage and expand economic development. Organs of self-governance of autonomous areas should, in accordance with legal provisions and local economic development, rationally adjust the relations of production and economic structure of these areas, independently manage enterprises and public institutions under their jurisdiction, manage and protect their local natural resources, and manage local finances. Organs of self-governance in ethnic autonomous areas formulate their plans and measures for economic and social development, and arrange their infrastructure projects by following the guidance of the state plan for national economic and social development, while at the same time taking into consideration their local conditions. Ethnic autonomous areas may, in accordance with the relevant state regulations, open ports for foreign trade after obtaining approval from the State Council. Ethnic autonomous areas may enjoy state preferential policy treatment in their foreign economic and trade activities.

　　– Independently develop cultural and social programs. Organs of self-governance in ethnic autonomous areas may determine their educational plans, establishment of schools, educational systems, forms of schools, curricula and methods of enrollment, in accordance with the state principles concerning education and legal provisions. These organs may independently develop cultural programs with the characteristics of their ethnic groups, including literature, art, news, publishing, radio, TV, and movies. They may organize relevant entities to collect, edit, translate and publish books related to the history and culture of their ethnic groups; to protect scenic spots, sites of historical interest, valuable artifacts and other important aspects of local cultural heritage; and to carry on and develop the traditional culture of their ethnic groups.(To be continued)